Potential
by Ihansa
Summary: Elizabeth Dubois grew up in what looked to be a happy family, but very few people knew of the abuse that happened behind closed doors. Her love for writing gave her a one way ticket to Gotham University, but this reward leads to a terrible tragedy. While in Gotham, Elizabeth does her best to live a normal life, but things once again take a dark turn.
1. The Beginning of a New Life

She hated writing stories about damsels in distress. The helpless damsels always reminded her of herself and her mother, and the striking prince that never came to help them. In her story, the evil holding the damsel always won.

Her life didn't start out bad. She lived in Buffalo, New York with her father, an intelligent and handsome professor of literature, and her mother, a successful children's book writer. In the happier days of her childhood, her mother would take her along to her book signings and promotions. Her mother's most famous character was Little Elizabeth, who she named after her. Sometimes her father, much to her mother's dismay, would read her some of the literature he assigned for his classes. Her favorite story was Henry James's _The Turn of the Screw_. Sometimes if she tried, Elizabeth could still picture what they all used to look like. Her dark skinned and curly haired mother with the most glowing and beautiful smile in the world, and her fair father with the classy smirk, dark hair and green eyes. She could picture a smaller version of herself standing between the two of them sometimes as well. She looked like the happiest kid in the world. Her complexion a mixture between the two of them, a smile that couldn't hold a candle to her mothers, wavy brown hair, and her father's eyes. In this image, they all looked happy, and for the first few years of her life they were. It was not until she reached the age of eight when things started to change.

Her father had been working his hardest to earn tenure status, but when he failed her mother noticed some changes in his behavior. He began to manage his stress through alcohol, and he began to come home from work later and later leaving both her and Elizabeth worried. One day she made the mistake of questioning his whereabouts and scolding him for making his family feel anxious. He responded to her violently by smacking her across the face and shoving her into the wall. Elizabeth would never forget this image of her mother's nose broken, bloody, and disfigured. She would never forget her mother's soft and helpless weeps. She would never forget her father apologizing over and over again for what he did. Lastly, no matter how much she tried, she would never forget about how scared she was of her own father when he turned his attention to her to embrace her and apologize to her as well. As soon as he stretched his arms towards her, she turned and ran to her room to shut the door and hide. She would never look at him the same ever again.

For the next two years she would watch helplessly as her father continued to physically and psychologically harm her mother. Sometimes she ran out of the house when it happened, not really knowing where she was going. She just needed to get away. Sometimes she couldn't even run. There were times when it got so bad that she would just freeze. It was like she was not even there when he did it most of the time. He acted like she didn't even exist when he cursed, kicked, shouted, and hit her mother. Afterwards he would always apologize to both of them, but after the first few times Elizabeth stopped believing him.

One day while her father was at work, she and her mother were visited by one of her father's young students. Elizabeth would never forget exactly what she looked like, but she remembered thinking she was very pretty. She looked like the kind of girl she hoped to be when she got older; smart, pretty, and approachable. The young woman looked taken aback when she answered the door, but she gave her a smile that almost seemed forced. Elizabeth could tell that she didn't mean the smile, and there was something not right about it. It was the kind of smile she would make when she knew she had done something wrong. When she told her mother that there was a young woman who said she was one of "daddy's kids" she was told to go to her room and read until she and the young woman were finished talking. Elizabeth went to her room only long enough to know the coast was clear, and she stood outside of the room the two women occupied and listened in on the conversation. This is how she found out that her father had been unfaithful to her mother for at least a year.

Her mother had gathered up a little courage as she waited for her father to come home. Once he did, she confronted him about the affair and said that he could hit her if he wanted and that it wouldn't change her decision to leave and take Elizabeth with her. He didn't hit her, but he pleaded for her to changer her mind. He told her he loved her, and that he would never be unfaithful or touch her violently ever again. When her mother stood her ground, her father went from a weak apologetic man to a vile and manipulative man who threatened to kill himself if she left and took his only daughter with him. This was enough to scare her mother into staying with him and continue to be abused.

By the time Elizabeth reached the age of fifteen reading and writing became a way for her to escape her life. She joined numerous clubs and participated in many after school activities not only because she enjoyed them, but because it prolonged her having to go home. When there was absolutely nothing else she can do to keep herself away from home she spent her time at the library gathering books hoping to escape or gain inspiration to create her own escapes.

When she was eighteen she entered a story she wrote in a creative writing contest and won first place along with the reward of a full ride scholarship to Gotham University, one of the top schools in the country. Her mother was pleased and proud and wanted to plan a night in which the three of them would go out to dinner. Elizabeth, however, insisted that it just be the two of them and that she would pay with the money she earned from working at the library. Her mother felt uneasy about this, but Elizabeth assured her that her father would never find out about it unless the told him because he would probably be too busy at work anyway. Even though she hated him, she did not want to speak negatively about him to her mother. Their nice dinner at her favorite restaurant would be her fondest and one of her final memories of her mother.

About a month before she left for school, her father did the unspeakable and hit her. This was after a late night out with her friends as a 'last good bye.' The moment she walked into the door of their house he was in her face shouting at her and questioning where she had been so long. When she tried to stand up for herself by shouting back he smacked her so hard across the face that she fell backwards and into a wall. That was enough for her mother. Her mother faced her father and shouted at him. She could not remember much of what her mother said besides, "That's it! That's the final straw! I let you put your hands on me for ten years, but I will be damned if I let you do the same to her!" Her father stood their silently with an unreadable expression on his face that chilled her. Her mother told her to leave the house and sleep over with one of her friends, and she did as her mother said.

When Elizabeth woke the next morning she walked into her friend's living room to see her parents speaking to a police officer. Her friend's mother was sobbing. Before asking, Elizabeth somehow knew it was about her parents. The cop had her sit down and revealed to her that her father had finally snapped and stabbed her mother several times before turning the knife on himself. While he managed to brutally murder her mother, his suicide attempt failed and he was taken into to custody. Elizabeth had never cried so much in her life, and she knew that she would never forgive herself for leaving the house when she did.

When she left for college she never returned to Buffalo; not even to visit her cold hearted father in prison who continued to write her letters that would remain unanswered. She continued to write throughout college, but her work was only published by independent companies that did not pay well. After graduating, she continued school to work to get her masters degree in creative writing while working as a librarian assistant. Although she had failed so far, she continued to dream about becoming a children's writer like her mother.

Things were slowly starting to become somewhat normal for her.

That is, until she was asked to volunteer reading at Gotham Children's Hospital and Arkham Asylum.


	2. Things Seem Better

Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if she was dressed a little too casually as the elevator lifted her higher towards the terminally ill ward of Gotham City Children's hospital. She looked down at her black converse shoes under her comfortably fitted blue jeans. She wore a plain blue v-neck shirt over a white camisole. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders in black spirals. _I should have dressed nicer_, she thought to herself as she hugged her book closer to her chest.

She sighed nervously as the elevator "dinged" and the doors separated. The check in counter was visible from where she stood. The environment looked warm and welcoming, or at least as warm and welcoming as a terminally ill ward of a children's hospital could work. She noticed the baby blue walls and the framed illustrations of circus animals that were obviously done by children hanging on them. Her nerves began to subside as she came closer and closer to the counter. The nurse sitting behind it on the telephone was wearing a white scrub with rainbow prints all over it. In front of her was a bouquet of roses with a tag that read, "To: Emily Sweaton." Elizabeth waited patiently in front of the counter as the nurse finished her important call. She looked to be in her late forties. She had dark skin and was slightly heavy set. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and around her right wrist was a bright blue watch with cloud prints around the buckle. She smiled vibrantly and nodded at Elizabeth to let her know that she would help her as soon as she was done taking care of business on the phone. Elizabeth could tell she was a woman who loved her job.

"I apologize, miss," she said politely as she hung up the receiver, "What may I help you with?"

"Hello, my name is Elizabeth Dubois," she said, "I'm here to volunteer by reading to the children. I wasn't sure who I'm supposed to check in with."

"Oh, you're Elizabeth," the nurse said with another smile, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Elizabeth paused for a few seconds before the nurse clarified. "Your stories? I've heard about the stories you've had published.."

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, yes. It's nothing big really," she said, "Just a few independent deals, really."

The nurse smiled. "Don't go selling yourself short," she said, "You must be talented to have your stories published at all."

"Well, thank you," she said, "I very much appreciate your compliment."

"My name is Felicia," the nurse said picking up a clip board, "You can just sign here on the next empty line and just write volunteer on the side of your name."

Elizabeth did as the nurse instructed and handed the clipboard back to her. "Thank you," Felicia said kindly, "Now, if you'll just wait one minute I'll call someone to come escort you to the playroom."

"Thank you very much," Elizabeth smiled. The warmth and kindness of Felicia helped ease her nerves and any worries that she was under dressed. She was already glad to have met her.

Within a few moments, Elizabeth was approached by a slender woman with a bright yellow scrub and sunny blonde hair and blue eyes. She also had a warm smile that made her feel relaxed and at ease. "Hello," she said sweetly. Her voice was slightly high pitched and it put a smile on Elizabeth's face. "You must be Elizabeth," she said extending her hand, "My name is Elissa."

Elizabeth accepted her hand and shook. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she said, "Let me show you to the playroom. The children are being gathered as we speak."

Elizabeth took their time walking down the halls to marvel at her surroundings. "I can't get over how wonderfully bright this is for a hospital."

Elissa smiled. "I'm glad you noticed," she said, "Sometimes children need help coping with their situation so we try to make this hospital as enjoyable as such a place can be. That's why I'm glad you're not dressed uptight and busness-y."

"Oh…" Elizabeth said with a chuckle, "I was actually a little worried with how I was dressed."

"Well, no need," she said, "People who volunteer often times over think how they should dress. I think the children just need to see someone relaxed and calm instead of seeing someone who looks like they might give them another needle."

"I understand," Elizabeth said with a nod. She could not imagine being so small and so sick, and she could not begin to imagine how scary it must have been for them.

The playroom was designed to look like a fantasy forest. Detailed evergreen trees with sunlight peeking through their green pine needs to hit the green grass were painted on the walls. Elizabeth also noticed small pixie fairies peaking from behind some of the trunks, sitting on branches, and marching on the ground with whimsical little instruments. In each corner was a fake tree just to add to the affect. Lined along the walls were multiple toy boxes for the smaller kids, and blue and green tables and chairs with notebooks and chapter books for the older kids. She found herself impressed once again with the effort put into making this place a comfortable environment for the kids.

"The children should be coming in at any moment," Elissa said, "It's really nice to have someone read to the kids. They haven't had a story time session in a while. It's become really difficult for us, since we nurses have a lot of kids to take care of. We really appreciate your help."

Elizabeth smiled. "It's my pleasure. I like kids, and I like telling stories," she explained, "I think every kid deserves an escape every once in a while."

As they spoke another nurse strolled in with a little girl in a gown. She was no higher in height than the nurse's kneecap, and around her wrist was an identification tag. She had no hair on the top of her head, no eyebrows, and no eyelashes. Her skin was pale, and she looked so small and fragile. Her eyes were round and grey, and Elizabeth could not help but think the little girl was very beautiful. "Hello," Elizabeth said kneeling to her level, "What's your name."

The little girl gave her a coy smile. "Emily," she answered. Her voice was full of innocence, and it warmed Elizabeth's heart. "That's a really pretty name," Elizabeth smiled, "My name is Elizabeth." She held out her hand and Emily accepted it allowing Elizabeth to gently shake hands with her. "How old are you, Emily?"

"I just turned five," she said proudly.

"Wow, that's wonderful," Elizabeth smiled, "I think you are old enough to sit on the lap of the story teller and help me turn the pages. Would you like that?"

Emily's eyes lit up as she nodded.

Elizabeth pulled out a chair from one of the tables and sat on it and helped Emily up into her lap just as more children began to arrive. Some of the kids had no hair like Emily, while others still had full heads of hair but were still pale like her. Others were in wheel chairs, while others kept themselves up with crutches. Some were even missing an arm or leg, while a few even had eye patches to cover up a missing eye. Despite everything, their faces were lit up with excitement to hear a story.

"I'm excited to see everyone here," Elizabeth said as she picked up her book, "I really hope you like the story. It's called _Rabbit Ears_." She held up the book so that the children may see the picture of a small boy with pink hair and rabbit ears holding hands with a small girl before separating the covers and starting to read her story;

— _Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl named Seena. Seena had light sunbright blonde hair that hung past her waist and clovery green eyes. She had a friend that no one could see. His name was Heyma. Heyma had pink hair and pale skin with a rabbit's tale and ears. Heyma and Seena went everywhere together, and they shared each other's deepest darkest secrets. Seena told Heyma about how one day she wanted to marry the prince of the kingdom and be a princess, and Heyma told Seena about how he longed to be real. "Don't be silly," she would tell him, "You have bunny ears and pink hair. You can never be real."  
One night Heyma stared upon the moon and wished to himself, "I wish I could be real, so I could marry Seena." The moon suddenly began to sparkle so brightly that Heyma had to shield his eyes. A beautiful woman with glowing skin materialized from the sparkles and floated down in front of him. "Hello, Heyma," she said, "I am the Moon Goddess, and I heard your wish and I wish to help you." He looked at her with hopeful eyes. "You're going to make me real?" he asked. She smiled a sorrowful smile. "I cannot make you real," she said somewhat sadly, "I can only give you the ability to be real if Seena chooses you. It is up to you to make her want you." Heyma let out a little sigh. "She'll never choose me," he said, "She's in love with the prince." The goddess nodded sorrowfully. "I know she's in love with the prince, but there's always a chance you can change her mind. Do whatever you can to make her fall for you."  
And so Heyma continued to be nice to Seena, but he was sure to compliment her when he could. He would call her beautiful almost one hundred times a day, and he would sing to her at night. "You're such a good friend," she would always say, but he always hoped for her to say that she loved him._

_Seena grew up to be the most beautiful woman in the village, and the prince took notice and propsed to her. She accepted without hesitation, but was visited that same night by the Moon Goddess. She told her of the deal she made with Heyma, and told her about how important her choice was to him. Seena knew that Heyma deserved to be happy, but she always wanted to be a princess. "I can't choose Heyma," she said to the Goddess, "I've been working all my life for this." The Goddess looked at Seena with much sadness in her eyes, "Then Heyma shall never be real, and his sadness will cause him to wither away. You are no true friend."  
On the day of the wedding all the villagers cheered, and Seena greeted them each with a smile. In the distance, however, she saw Heyma. He was crying, and his tears were washing him away. He was slowly vanishing just as the Goddess said he would. She turned away from him and ignored him and the sadness of seeing her one true friend vanish before her eyes. The Goddess visited her again that night as the prince was sleeping. "Heyma is gone now," she said furiously, "And it's all your fault!" Seena looked at the Goddess fearfully. "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean for him to disappear." The Goddess began to wave her wand. "There is only one way for me to bring him back!" Seena fell to her knees. "What needs to be done?" But the Goddess was already way ahead of her waving her wand into the air. She chanted an incomprehensible spell, and Seena felt the top of her head began to itch. She ran to her vanity and saw her hair begin to transform from blonde to pink and rabbit ears began to sprout from her scalp. "No!" she cried, "What have you done?" The Goddess smiled. "Heyma is being reborn as we speak now as a real human boy," she said, "I can guarantee that he will be happy. He'll have lovely parents, a lovely home, and he will be married by the time he reaches the age of nineteen to someone who really loves him." Seena began to sob. "What about me?" she asked, "How can I go on living like this?" The Goddess laughed. "You must leave your prince and this kingdom and search for the boy," she explained, "and you must seek his forgiveness. If he forgives you, your appearance will go back to the way it was…but I must warn you. Time is short, and the longer it takes you to find him the more imaginary you will become and you will eventually disappear just as he did if you don't find him soon."  
And so Seena left her prince and her kingdom. She made sure to do so before anyone woke up and saw her new appearance. They would surely find her horrendous to look at. It took her sixteen years to find Heyma, and during those sixteen years she dealt with ridicule by the people. All they saw was her pink hair and rabbit ears, and they treated her like dirt. She expected the same from Heyma who now had long blonde hair and clovery eyes, but he treated her with kindness. What broke her heart was not the fact that he went on to marry a sweet and kind maiden instead of her, and it was not the fact that her prince had moved on and had chosen another princess soon after she left. What broke her heart was that Heyma did not remember her at all, but forgave her anyway, and that he called her beautiful even when everyone else ridiculed her. She turned back to normal, but she had aged some from the years of stress. On the day of Heyma's wedding she cried just as he did, but no matter how many tears she shed she just couldn't disappear or take back the decision she made all those years ago.—_

"So, did you enjoy the story?" she asked the children.

"It was sad," a boy in a wheelchair said. Elizabeth nodded. "I agree with you, but why was it sad?"

"Because Heyma had to disappear," he answered.

Emily, still sitting on her lap, shook her head. "But he came back," she argued, "He came back and got to be happy."

"But Seena didn't get to marry him," said an older girl sitting close to them on a chair. Her hair was just starting to fall out. It was dark brown and thinning, and she wore a pink bandana. Elizabeth smiled at the girl who smiled in return. "So you think Seena should have been able to marry Heyma?"

"No," the girl responded, "I think it's just kinda sad that she didn't pick him first, because he was nice to her and the prince was not nice."

Elizabeth liked her answer. "What's your name?" she asked the girl.

"Erin," she responded.

"I like that name," she said, "What would you have done, Erin?"

"I would have chosen neither," she said, "boys are just weird!"

"Hey!" called the boy in the wheelchair, "Are not." He had a contagious laughter that made everyone in the room laugh.

After they all shared a laugh, Elizabeth decided she wanted to stay just a little longer. Elissa okayed it with a nod. "So, do you kids have any favorite stories you would like me to read?"

Elizabeth was there reading to the kids any book they picked out for another hour or two before she felt her cell buzz. She took the phone out of her pocket and saw the name Jake flash across her screen. It was time to go. Elissa smiled as she asked the kids, "What do we say to Elizabeth?"

"Thank you!" the kids said in broken unison. Elissa called for more nurses to help the children back to their rooms. When a nurse came for little Emily she threw her arms around Elizabeth and hugged her. "Are you going to come next week?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Absolutely, I loved meeting all of you."

Elizabeth tapped her legs nervously with her fingertips as she waited for the elevator to reach her. She was going to be late, and Jake was not going too be happy. She checked her phone for the time. It was 5:12 PM, and he always got home at approximately 6 PM. She didn't know how she was going to make it back to her apartment that was all the way across town in less than an hour. _I can't be late_, she repeated to herself over and over, _I just can't_.

She heard the elevator 'ding' as it had before as the 'down' arrow lit up. When the doors separated she didn't even think as she moved forward and ran right into who Elizabeth guessed to be a police officer. She was thrown off and lost her balance for a second. "Oh, goodness," she said slightly embarrassed, "I'm really sorry."

The officer smiled and shrugged. "No problem," he said, "Don't worry about it."

Elizabeth noticed that he was fairly young with dark hair and a nice smile, so much so that she didn't notice that she was still holding on to his arm. She apologized again before releasing him. They both shared a laugh, although hers was more awkward and uncomfortable. There was a brief moment in which the two just looked at each other. Something about his smile seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Oh, wow," she said, "Now, I'm staring like a creeper." She let out another uncomfortable laugh before entering the elevator.

"Hey," he said before the elevator doors closed.

Elizabeth blocked them from closing with her foot. "I'm sorry," he said, "but you don't by any chance know where the playroom is, do you?"

"I actually just came from there," she said, "It's straight down the hall, your first left, and your second right, but I'm afraid most of the kids have gone back to their rooms. Felicia there at the front desk should be able to help you find who you are looking for though." His attention followed the direction of her finger pointed at the woman behind the counter. He then turned his attention back to Elizabeth and nodded at her with a wave as the doors closed.

It was 6:03 PM when she reached the door to her apartment, but for whatever reason she was not as nervous as she usually was when she came home late. Her day had been too wonderful for anything to ruin it, or at least that was what she was feeling as she fumbled for the keys.

The door swung open before her key reached the door knob, and there stood Jake. Jake was a tall man of twenty seven. His brown eyes beamed down on her as his jaw ticked with frustration. His shaved head added more towards his quite intimidating appearance. He wore a white T-shirt and jeans, and she was bombarded with the stench of his alcoholic breath. "You're late," he said, "What the hell is wrong with you?"


	3. Something to Look Forward to

**I can't believe it, but I've found time to write another chapter. I'm excited to have so many follow and add my story to their favorites. Please be sure to write a review if you can.**

Jake was not even her boyfriend. He was merely her roommate, though she was sure he had convinced himself otherwise. "I said what the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded as she stood in front of him completely frozen, "Who were you with? What's his name?"

It was the same question he always asked when she was home late. She often wondered what made him think they were a couple. She cooked, paid utilities, and paid her share and sometimes even his share of the rent. Perhaps he had mistaken her kindness for affection.

"I was not with anyone, Jake," she said, "I was at the hospital."

"Bull," he half belched, "You're standing here right in front of me and there is nothing wrong with you."

"I was reading to the kids," she said, "I'm sorry I'm late." The extra whiff of alcohol mixed with bodily fluids made her wrinkle her nose. "I'm sorry," she said, "I'll start making you dinner."  
"Yeah, you'd better," he said jauntily moving aside so she could walk through the door way towards the kitchen.

After looking in the pantries and refrigerator she realized that there was not much she could make for him, since he once again did not do the grocery shopping as promised. He _knew_ that she had a job at the library, _knew _that she took classes at night, and _knew _that she did volunteer work in her spare time.She was amazed that she was surprised that he once again did not do his part. _Looks like I'm going to have to order take out…once again_. She rolled her eyes as she closed the refrigerator door, and wondered if Jake thought she was made of money as she placed her purse on the counter and dug around for her phone.

"So, what's my lady going to make me for supper?" Jake slurred as he leaned against the counter eyeing the contents of her bag.

She despised him and hated living with such a incompetent and irresponsible drunk, but she had little options. Despite having to pay for just about everything, this was the cheapest option she could find. After she graduated with her bachelor degree she had applied for another scholarship to help get her through the graduate program. She got it, but it unfortunately only paid for her classes. She had to take care of her own housing, and she didn't make enough money to be picky. "I'm not your girlfriend," she reminded him as she pulled her phone out of her purse and snapped it shut, "and I can't cook anything, because there is barely any food in the house."

"You were out all that time," he snorted, "and you didn't even stop to think to pick up something on the way back?"

"I was a little busy doing constructive activities," she said crossly as she speed dialed the number of a Chinese joint she had come to like. She proceeded to ignore his rants as she placed her order.

"They'll be here in about a half an hour with the food," she said cutting off his belly aching, "I've ordered some pot stickers and fried rice for myself. Could you please put them in the refrigerator for me?" She walked towards the dining area to pick up her books before moving towards the door. "And just where do you think you're going?" he said as he stumbled towards her to grab her wrist. She jerked it away before he could touch her. "Where I always go Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. Class," she responded as she twisted the knob. He continued to rant and rave at her, but she shut the door in his face and began to walk towards the elevator. "Don't you ignore me, you little bitch!" she heard him call after her as she continued about her business.

Elizabeth was not surprised to see a new voicemail message on her phone after class. Jake was usually not satisfied with himself unless he left her several angry texts or voicemails when she upset him. She learned to ignore them most of the time. She, however, was a bit surprised to see that the one voicemail she received actually was not from him. It was from a number she had never seen before. She shrugged. It could not have been Jake. He didn't have an extra phone or any friends that would let him use their phone that she knew of. With that in mind, she dialed the voicemail and listened.

"_Ms. Dubois? This is John. You probably don't remember me. I'm the officer that bumped into you when you were coming into the elevator. I wanted to go after you, but I figured you would be long gone by the time I caught the next elevator. You dropped your book, and I found your number inside the front cover. My friend Jeremy at the hospital said you wrote it, so I figured you probably would like your work back. Just call me back when you can and let me know where I can meet you so I can return it."_

Elizabeth felt her cheeks flush as she remembered how awkward she had acted around him, and now she felt even more embarrassed that she hadn't even noticed that she returned home without her book. She let out a sigh as she punched the number he left for her. She, thankfully, was greeted by his voicemail. "Hi, this is Elizabeth," she said as she began to leave her own message, "I'm sorry I couldn't reach you. I had a class tonight. I work tomorrow from 8am to 3pm at Gotham City Public Library. I usually take a lunch break at around 12:30. There's a place I usually go to called Stuart's. It's right across the street from the library. If you're available, that's where I'll be. If not, give me a call and we can arrange something else."

Something inside her felt eager with anticipation as she walked towards the street to call a cab. She was not usually like this. She was level headed and focused on her work and studies, but his smile both puzzled and intrigued her. She couldn't lie to herself and try to believe she wasn't looking forward to possibly seeing that smile again, and with the way her life was at that moment she needed more things to look forward to.


	4. Stuart's

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12:30 came fast. She still could not understand what had come over her. Since arriving at work she found herself constantly checking her wrist watch. The officer had not called her back, and she wondered if that meant she would be seeing him at Stuart's, or maybe he was too busy to check his phone. That would, after all, make sense, she thought, since he was an officer and had important things to do. _Or maybe he reconsidered since I made myself look like an idiot yesterday and decided to just forget about it._

Elizabeth could not even figure out why she was so concerned about getting her book back. The publishing company had given her three copies which meant she had two copies of her missing book at the apartment. She didn't necessarily _need _the book back. Maybe she just wanted to have all of her books just in case, well, Jake set the apartment on fire. The again, she could have just ordered more copies once she found a new place.

_Damn it, _she though as she stood across the street waiting for the light to change, _Why are you over thinking this? Just get your book, thank the officer, and get your lunch_. She was not worried about him staying wrong. She was convinced that _if_ he showed up he'd probably be in a rush.

The light changed signaling her time to cross. She took a deep breath and began to step towards the clearly visible Stuart's.

It was not a hugely popular restaurant with flashy signs or gimmicks. It was just a quaint little place with a maroon banner above the entrance that lit up at night. She was quite fond of their tomato bisque and avocado salad. She had just a glass of orange juice in the morning due to the fact that she liked to leave before Jake woke up. She was not a morning person, so she knew that she would have little patience for his immaturity. The combination of her empty stomach and the thought of the hot, rich soup made her moisten her lips as she neared the small restaurant.

She was so deeply occupied in her thoughts of feeling the warmth of creamy tomato soup that she barely noticed a young officer standing near the entrance with a copy of _Rabbit Ears_ tucked under one of his arms.

_There he is_, she thought.

She began to rehearse different things she could say to appear less awkward than she had before, but nothing seemed to satisfy her nerves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she approached him.

"Officer John?" she said softly wondering if he preferred to be addressed by title. She did her best to appear indifferent even though she could feel her heart racing.

"Elizabeth," he responded with a smile, "I got your message."

Elizabeth examined his features once again; short black hair, brown eyes, and very boyish. There was something haunting about his smile. It seemed sincere, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes. Still, it was infectious to her, and she couldn't help but break away from her false indifference and smile back.

"You have my book?" she asked as her attention was still on his face and not on the book tucked under his arm.

"Oh, yeah," he said raising his eyebrows. He handed her the book. Once she had the book in her hand she had realized she truly had not missed it at all. She examined the cover that she had seen numerous times since it had been delivered to the apartment with the other copies, and then looked back up at his face.

"I'm sorry about this," she said, "I really appreciate you taking the time to return this to me."

He shook his head in response. "It's really no problem."

"Well, thanks anyway," she said.

Things began to feel awkward again as they simply stood there for a few moments smiling at one another in silence. "Would you like to get something to eat?" he said breaking the silence. Elizabeth bit her lip. "Aren't you busy?" she asked, "I mean, I wouldn't want to be the one to distract you should you be needed elsewhere."

He let out a light laugh. "Well, if I'm needed I'll get a tip," he explained, "and I'll unfortunately have to cut lunch short. Hopefully, that won't happen, though," she laughed uncomfortably as she did when she first ran into him the day before. "Well, I guess it could be a nice little fun break," she said.

He held the door open for her as they walked into Stuart's. They grabbed a table next to the window and a waiter handed them both a menu upon seeing them take their seats. "They have amazing soup here," she said to the officer sitting across from her, "their tomato bisque is yummy."

_Ugh_, _did I just say the word, 'yummy?' _

She felt her cheeks flush as she buried her nose back in her menu. "I'll give it a try," she heard him say. _So much for not looking like an idiot_, she thought.

There was another uncomfortable silence after they placed their orders, but he was gracious enough to break it again. "So, you're a writer?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I've only been able to publish with independent companies," she explained, "but I'm just happy to have my books published."

"The kids really seemed to like you yesterday," he said, "That's at least the impression I got from my friend, Jeremy."

She smiled. "I'm glad to know that," she said, "but I'm terrible with names."

"He's a crazy kid," he smirked, "He used to stay at the orphanage, but since he got sick we've been doing our best to help him get the proper care he needs at the hospital."

"How bad is it?" she asked.

"He started to have these really bad headaches and they told me that he would wake up at night very sick to his stomach," he explained, "The doctors performed a few brain scans and found a tumor."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. "Goodness," she said, "I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what he's going through."

"None of us can," he said, "but the kid would have you believe there was nothing wrong with him. He's a typical 'tough guy.'" John laughed, but Elizabeth could tell that he and Jeremy were good friends and that he was truly concerned about his well being. It made her want to smile, but she held back knowing that it wouldn't be appropriate. "How are they going to treat him?"

"He's being treated with chemotherapy, and his doctors are planning a surgery for him," he said, "I try to visit him as much as I can. I just don't want him to feel like he is alone."

Elizabeth looked down at her book. She realized the kids were sick, but she started to question why she picked such a sad story. Her overall message in the book was forgiveness, but she realized that maybe what the kids needed was a good happy ending. _How could I be so stupid? _she wondered to herself. "That's really nice of you," she said, "to visit him like that."

He shrugged. "He needs a friend right now."

Once they were done eating he offered to pay the bill, but she insisted on paying her part. She even offered to pay his, but he insisted on paying for his own half as well. "Thanks again for returning my book," she said, "I really appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it," he said, "I just figured since you had obviously put time and effort into getting a good story published that you would want it back."

She raised an eyebrow. "So, you read it?"

"Yeah," he smirked, "Couldn't help myself."

"Well," she said as she reached into her bag and took out a pen, "It's yours."

She signed her name on the front cover and wrote, "Thank you!" underneath it.

She handed it to him and he looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I can just order another one from the publishing company," she said not wanting to admit that she had two other copies.

Elizabeth knew she was cutting it close now, but she liked talking to him. Still, she needed to keep her job. "I should probably get back to work," she said regretfully.

"I understand," he said with a nod.

She held out her hand. "It was really nice meeting you." He accepted her hand and shook it. "Same here."

Later that night after class, Elizabeth opened up her laptop and began typing. She decided that her published stories were too sad, and that these kids needed something a little more uplifting. _Happy endings may not be my expertise_, she thought, _but I'm going to do my best to give them that._


	5. No Sleep

**Okay, guys, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. School starts for me on Monday. I will be taking two classes and working on a thesis, so it may take me a while to post new chapters for the next ten weeks. I will, however, check reviews regularly and take in any advice you have to offer. Please leave me a review if you like it. I could use some good criticism. I'm always open to advice that can help me become a better creative writer.**

_-Once upon a time there was a fairy prince who lived in the hottest desert in the most beautiful oasis in the world. It had the tallest palm trees with the greenest of leaves, the most luscious green grass, and a silver pond with water that tasted of sugar crystals._

_This fairy prince could have anything he wanted. If he wanted the sweetest berry in the world, his servants would scout the entire desert for a single berry that could be considered the sweetest. If he wanted it to rain, he would have the entire kingdom pray to the moon goddess until it rained. The fairy was completely happy with everything he had until the day a young maiden showed up at his oasis._

_She had eyes of violet and hair as black as the night. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She looked tired and weary, and she came with another man. He was her lover. He could tell by the way they looked at one another and the way they kissed. That would not do._

_He waited until the two fell asleep and ordered all the small fairies to remain hidden in the palm trees and pray to the moon goddess to turn her into a fairy. He had decided that she would be his queen._

_The moon lit up and the moon goddess materialized in its light and floated down to their level right above the palm trees._

"_I cannot change the young woman into a fairy unless you can demonstrate your love for her," she explained._

"_but I do love her," the fairy prince responded._

_The goddess lifted an eyebrow. "You have one month to prove it." With that she faded away into the darkness of the night._

_On the first day of the month the prince sent his servants to search the desert for the most beautiful cactus blossom to give to her as a gift. The servants found various blossoms and presented their findings to him. He picked out the most bloomed and richest of them all, and when the maiden rested under the trees he had his servants gently weave the flower in her ink black hair. The prince was convinced that he would win her heart, but when she wok up and checked her reflection in the sugar pond and saw the blossom she assumed that her lover had searched the desert for it as she slept. She placed a kiss on his lips as he continued to sleep. The prince was not pleased._

_On that same day, the prince ordered his servants to begin to weave a lovely basket of various threads that glimmered in both the moon and sunlight. He sent other servants to find the sweetest of berries of the desert to fill it with._

_It took a total of three days to fill the basket full of what the prince decided were the best berries, and the prince ordered his servants to place the basket near the pond to ensure that the maiden would see it when she checked her reflection. When the maiden woke that morning and found the basket, however, she decided that the mysterious basket would be the perfect gift for her lover. When he awoke she presented him with the basket and he ate each and every berry that was meant for the maiden. The prince fumed with anger as he watched from above in a palm tree._

_An entire week passed, and all throughout the week the prince had his servants scour the desert, the forest, and even some nearby human cities for the most exotic and unique gifts to offer the maiden. To his dismay, she believed to either from her lover or a good gift to him.—_

Elizabeth hit the wall of writer's block hard at three o'clock in the morning; three hours before she liked to wake up to go to work. When she woke up late she knew that she could still make it to work on time, but also knew that she would not be able to avoid Jake. She thought about how she would deal with him as she showered, brushed her hair, and slipped on a blue pencil skirt and white dress blouse, but she could not concoct any plan. There was no getting around it. She would just have to face him.

He had been waiting for her in the dining room, one of the rooms that she had to pass through in order to exit the apartment. She rolled her eyes when she saw him sitting at the table, but felt her heart almost leap out of her chest when she saw her phone laying in front of him. He looked up at her with crossed arms and a ticking jaw. "How long have you been seeing him?" he asked. He was sober at the moment, but that didn't make him any less nuts. In fact, it was even worse. When he was sober it made it difficult for her to blow him off as she did the other nights. She could already tell that this was going to be a bad day.

"Seeing who?" she asked.

"Don't act dumb!" he said pounding his fists against the table. Her phone shook as the wood underneath it rumbled. Elizabeth flinched, and all she could do for a moment was stare.

"Who is John?" he demanded.

"John?"

"The asshole who called your phone to leave a message thanking you for letting him keep your book."

Elizabeth let out an aggravated sigh. Jake was, once again, fooling himself into believing there was something between them. "He's just an officer I met the other day at the hospital," she calmly explained, "I dropped my book, and we met at a café during my lunch break yesterday so he could return it. He liked my book, so I let him keep it."

"You had _lunch_ with him?"

"Yes," she said simply and matter of fact. Why should she defend her actions?

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Jake said standing up. He towered above her, and he seemed to grow larger and larger as he approached her. Elizabeth could almost feel herself growing limp. He glared down at her. "You mean to tell me, that you had lunch with some asshole cop, yet you can't even cook dinner half the time?" his voice was beginning to raise, "yet you can't even make dinner more than half of the time?"

Now was not the time to correct him on his irresponsibility, she knew, unless she wanted a broken nose. She hated him, and she hated submitting to his controlling personality, but she knew the only way to get out of this situation was to give him what he wanted. She bowed her head and avoided eye contact. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I won't talk to him anymore."

"Damn right, you won't," he said, "I've erased his number from your phone." He grabbed the phone off of the table and dropped it in her hand. He then sat back down at the table and nodded towards the door. "Go to work."

The minute the door closed behind her she mouthed the words, "fuck you." She was, of course, going to continue to call anyone she wanted. She just hated having to deal with Jake. _I can't do this for much longer_, she thought as she walked towards the elevator. She had no other choice. She was going to have to find a second job. Not only would it keep her away from Jake as much as possible, but it would help her to make enough money to possibly move out into a better living situation. _I guess I can kiss sleep goodbye._

She stared at her phone and scrolled through her contacts feeling more than displeased that John's number was now erased, but she remembered that Jake was not too bright. She checked her "missed calls" list and recognized John's number and grinned to herself. She re-added the number to her contacts, but put it under the name "Cindy." _I'll never let him have complete control._


	6. To Escape

"Why don't you read us one of your own books?" asked a boy sitting near the chair she and Emily sat on, "I mean, it was really sad, but I really liked the first book you read us."

The boy had his head shaven in order to beat the chemo to it and large brown eyes with faint circles underneath them. He could not have been any older than ten.

Elizabeth gently set the book on the table behind her. "Well," she began, "I thought I'd start on a new story made special for all of you."

Emily looked up at her with a tilted head. "What's it about?" she asked.

"Well, it's not finished yet," Elizabeth explained, "but I can tell you that it has fairies, a beautiful maiden, and the moon goddess."

The room erupted with sounds of childish excited whispers. It pleased Elizabeth to hear such positivity directed at one of her own characters. She smiled as Nurse Elissa entered the room. Her lips were curled, and she was hugging her clipboard lightly to her chest. Her blue eyes almost seemed to light up upon making contact with Elizabeth. She looked as if she would burst with excitement at any moment. "Alright, guys, settle down," Elizabeth said in a soft tone, "I think our friend, Elissa has something important to say."

The kids giggled as they exchanged secretive glances at one another. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Okay, Elissa," she said with a smirk, "What's going on?"

"Elissa's friend is going to put you in a magazine!" the brown eyed boy blurted.

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. "Excuse me?"

"Felicia, me, and the rest of the nurses really wanted to show you our appreciation for doing what you've been doing for the past few weeks," Elissa explained with only slightly contained giddiness. Elizabeth was still surprised by what had been revealed her and did not know what to say. "Come again?"

"Little Jeremy here," Elissa began slightly turning her attention to the brown eyed boy, "just told you. I realize that you are a struggling writer, so I called my friend who works with Gotham City Weekly. She thinks that your volunteer work here would make a great feature article in the magazine, and it could get your name out there. You know…just in case any editors are looking for new talent?"

Elizabeth found herself paying less attention to Elissa and found herself focusing on the little brown eyed boy. _So, this is Jeremy_, she thought, _This is John's friend._ He was smiling at her, and she returned the smile as she realized that he shared the same look in his eyes as John did when he smiled. There was an amount of pain that just could not be masked with a simple positive expression. She felt her self wanting to sit next to him and wrap her arms around him.

"So…what do you say?" Elissa said interrupting her thoughts.

Elizabeth, at first, thought it was a joke, but then took into consideration that it would be a very cruel joke and that Elissa was probably not capable of pulling off that kind of cruelty. "You didn't have to do that," Elizabeth said as a few other nurses entered the room to escort the kids back to their rooms, "I do this kind of thing because I like doing it."

Elissa shrugged. "I didn't have to," she said, "but you also didn't have to come every week to help us, so we're even."

Elissa led her to the waiting room where a young petite woman with orangey yellow hair sat. "It's nice to meet you," the woman said standing up to extend a hand, "I'm Erica."

Elizabeth accepted the handshake. She still did not feel completely comfortable as she sat in the empty chair next to her. She only wanted to do nice volunteer work. She was not looking for any recognition or attention through doing it, but she also did not want to seem ungrateful to Elissa.

"So, let me start off by asking what drew you to volunteering at the hospital?"

Elizabeth, feeling awkward, folded her hands on her lap. "Well, I guess I just wanted to share my stories."

"But why not to other kids? Why with these kids?"

Elizabeth readjusted the hands on her lap. "Other kids don't have to fight against their own bodies," she explained, "and they shouldn't have to, but these kids do."

"Now, I understand you are working to get your graduate degree in creative writing?" Erica continued.

"That is correct."

"You sound like a very busy woman," Erica smiled as she continued to jot down notes, "yet you use your spare time to share stories. I think that's very admirable, and I think the workers here would agree."

Elizabeth shrugged with a coy smile. "Thank you."

"Have the children responded well to your writing?" Erica continued.

"I hope so," she said, "but I think the one's that can tell you that for sure are the kids. You should ask them."

"Well, I spoke with them earlier before you visited," Erica said, "They seem to really enjoy your visits."

Elizabeth nodded and looked down at her folded hands. This was exciting news, but she didn't know how to show it without seeming awkward. "I'm really glad to hear that."

"If I may put my personal two cents in," Erica said, "I think this is a great thing you're doing, and I hope you gain success in your writing career."

"Thank you," she said, "but I've been reading them work by other authors for a while now."

Erica tilted her head with a new curiosity. "Why is that?"

"I realized a short time ago that some of my stories kind of end on a sad note, and I don't think these kids need any sad stories," she explained, "They need…well, they need an escape, so I'm currently writing a new story that I believe can help lift their spirits."

Erica gave her another bright smile. "You really are going out of your way to help these kids escape."

"It's not a big deal," she said, "Every kid everywhere needs an escape at some point in their lives."

"Well, I'm going to have to agree with Elissa and the rest of the staff here and say that I hope you continue to volunteer at the hospital and give these kids something special to look forward to."

Elizabeth thanked her once again just before the vibration of her phone startled her.

Elizabeth was relieved to find herself waiting for the elevator doors to open after the interview came to a close. She thanked Elissa numerous times for the surprise, but felt her heart racing as she embraced the nurse.

When the doors parted before her she couldn't help but grin at the familiar face. "Officer Blake," she greeted him with a tone that was more upbeat than she wanted to sound.

He let out a light laugh. "This seems a little familiar," he joked as she stepped out.

"Only this time I'm not nearly knocking you over," she said as she waked passed him into the elevator.

"I was just here to visit Jeremy," he said, "Would you like to join me?"

Right as she opened her mouth to speak she felt the tremor of the phone within her purse once again. _Damn_ _you, Jake_.

"I'm really sorry," she said, "I can't. Please tell Jeremy that I'll work extra hard tonight on the new story."

And with that, the doors closed between them.


End file.
